haleschristine Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Okay guys, I need some advice... I have been a bit negligent on my tank resulting in tufts of green hair algae. I've been reading through the forums and all I can find is taking the rocks out or spot treating with a syringe. 2 problems-my rocks are glued together hence I can't take them out. Second problem, I have no idea where to buy a syringe. Is is it possible to dose the entire tank? I've been doing manual removal but there's just too much to get it all. Plus it seems there's always more after that (likely I'm accidentally letting a few bits go and it's spreading). Also, how much peroxide should I use? Should it be diluted? Having trouble finding a forum that lists exactly what to do. Advice? Quote Link to comment
SelectedByNature Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 26 minutes ago, haleschristine said: Okay guys, I need some advice... I have been a bit negligent on my tank resulting in tufts of green hair algae. I've been reading through the forums and all I can find is taking the rocks out or spot treating with a syringe. 2 problems-my rocks are glued together hence I can't take them out. Second problem, I have no idea where to buy a syringe. Is is it possible to dose the entire tank? I've been doing manual removal but there's just too much to get it all. Plus it seems there's always more after that (likely I'm accidentally letting a few bits go and it's spreading). Also, how much peroxide should I use? Should it be diluted? Having trouble finding a forum that lists exactly what to do. Advice? Pic? Is it hair algae or turf algae? You'll have to consider that your nutrients are out of control if it's booming rapidly like that. Manual removal is normally the best policy. Quote Link to comment
haleschristine Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 It's definitely hair algae. The nutrients were definitely the issue through a little laziness and tank neglect after my recent move. Its literally impossible to manually remove it all without spreading further, that's what I tried first. Quote Link to comment
Dreichler Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 Buy some Red Sea NO3:PO4 X. Also known as "NO-POX". This works like a charm for me and others I have recommended it to. It effectively lowers nitrates and phosphates. Just follow the dosing instructions on the bottle. They're relative to the tank size, nitrate level, phosphate level, and desired corals. It can be a little tricky to figure out the dosage amount at first glance but read it carefully and it'll work like a charm. Another tip tip would to stock up on a clean up crew. Green emerald crabs, Florida verity snails, blue leg hermits, etc. They will make a feast of the GHA! Quote Link to comment
zohar78 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Make sure to have a skimmer for the nopox. 1 Quote Link to comment
haleschristine Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 15 hours ago, zohar78 said: Make sure to have a skimmer for the nopox. I do not have a skimmer... urgh. this is getting so frustrating Quote Link to comment
brandon429 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Why not remove the rocks anyway? Remove them as glued, out of tank cleaning will stop your issue i hate to see boundaries in place if not required There's also drain technique where your rocks stay in tank, water drained, algae worked directly that way. Removal cleaning will stop your issue and we clean the entire sandbed too. Quote Link to comment
Friendly Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 clean up crew, like recommended. fixes the problem and adds a new variety of life, interest and humor to your tank! Quote Link to comment
TFish77 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Is the tank big enough for a small sea hare? Quote Link to comment
haleschristine Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 1 hour ago, Friendly said: clean up crew, like recommended. fixes the problem and adds a new variety of life, interest and humor to your tank! I have hermit crabs and 2 astrea snails. What additional clean up crew would be best for this? 1 hour ago, TFish77 said: Is the tank big enough for a small sea hare? The tank is 10 gallons. What is the recommended tank size for a sea hare? Live Aquaria doesn't list a tank requirement. 2 hours ago, brandon429 said: Why not remove the rocks anyway? Remove them as glued, out of tank cleaning will stop your issue i hate to see boundaries in place if not required There's also drain technique where your rocks stay in tank, water drained, algae worked directly that way. Removal cleaning will stop your issue and we clean the entire sandbed too. I wasn't really wanting to remove them as they are covered in zoas. Looks like it may come to that though. In tank cleaning is not really working. Quote Link to comment
brandon429 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 zoas can stand the longest outside the tank of any coral I know, it w be ok for sure. that way is the most work agreed, but it cannot be beaten for algae removal by anything. I predict my zoa rocks could sit out in the air for half a day and survive. all the dosers and animals and slower fixes are what we must do when the tank is too large to reasonably access, or if someone is in no particular hurry they can sit back and see if a water-based or all-natural approach works a small percentage of the hobby wants no algae, ever, in the most commanding way possible and that's what we like to collect in huge tank correction threads. the 1% who are not playing around with $$ post pics we get the most mileage off that, don't even need to know nutrients at all to fix this. if it was my tank, full sandbed replace, live rock detritus purged, and all rock worked out on the counter set on a towel. use squirt gun mister to wet with saltwater/no harm there while we do dental work on the rocks knife/scrape hard and debride this rock of its algae, take the holdfasts like my grandma takes dandelion roots with a butterknife. Surgically clean around your corals, scrape that algae out and be rinsing it all off. when your rock is methodically and roughly scraped clean, no algae can be seen, go back over all the cleaned areas with a wash of 3% peroxide from a new bottle rinse and work around corals as needed, this is your algaecide step and zoas are not harmed at all. final rinse, perfectly clean rock goes back on perfectly clean sand, in a cloudless algae free system, in about two hours time. that is not playing around no old water goes back in the rebuild, all new water and re acclimate fish. corals do not need re acclimation. this is the correct order of ops for every reef tank restoration needed, though large tankers can't do this as easily. Once the waste and algae is gone, then we install clean up crews and water controls as preventatives, not removers, and no tank can be invaded under that technique we show. to ever have invasive algae in a reef tank is simply an option we take or refuse it is never dictated by nutrients or lighting or animals or our feeding or by direct sunlight or by luck...we either farm dandelions or we do not is truly how I view every algae challenge on the web. Quote Link to comment
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